


A Fresh Start

by WindInYourSail



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-07
Updated: 2018-08-09
Packaged: 2019-06-23 13:29:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15607305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WindInYourSail/pseuds/WindInYourSail
Summary: Charlotte Daniels runs into Rafael Barba again after three years.(I’m terrible at summaries which explains why half the time I don’t even bother trying to write one.)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I’m working on ideas for my other stories but kind of blocked at the moment so I’m going through things I’ve previously written. I pulled some aspects of this character for other stories so if there is some overlap that’s why.
> 
> I originally wrote this as a different version of my Hattie story. I’ve changed the name but if you see a random Hattie in there let me know and I’ll fix it.

Charlotte woke up extra early for her first day of work with Manhattan's Special Victims Unit. Truthfully she had been too wound up to sleep, she had always been a rather anxious person when it came to new situations. Once she adjusted, her anxiety would subside but for now she just had to push through and try to fake calmness. Due to the fact that she got up so early, Charlotte decided to stop at a little coffee shop down the street from her apartment for breakfast. She browsed the news on her phone while she ate her bagel and drank her coffee. It was a slow news day and nothing really grabbed her attention so she didn't actually select any articles to read. Despite the fact that she knew her phone hadn't gone off she checked her messages anyway to see if Max had texted. Nothing, of course, why would he bother to text her, call her, geese anything before she started her new job. She rolled her eyes when she realized he hadn't even responded to her last text and that was over a week ago.

She arrived at the precinct twenty minutes early and took a few deep breaths before she entered and headed to SVU. The bullpen was quiet so she walked over to the office she had interviewed in a few weeks back. "Lieutenant Benson?" Charlotte spoke assertively even though she was panicked on the inside. Olivia Benson looked up from her work and smiled. "Morning Charlie. Please call me Liv. Let me show you to your desk." Liv got up and joined Charlotte in the bullpen, guiding her to a desk close to the main entrance but not too far from where the other SVU detectives sat. 

The desk faced the bullpen and had a wall behind it causing Charlotte to internally sigh with relief. It made her anxious to sit with her back to an open room and she was pleased to see she would be facing the entire room, this was one of her quirks that wouldn't go away no matter how comfortable she became. Hell, even when she went to eat at a restaurant she always tried to sit with her back to a wall. Charlotte never understood why she did this, nothing had ever happened to her but for as long as she can remember she's always felt uncomfortable sitting with her back to an open room.

"Hey Liv." A petit blond said as she hurried pasted them. Before she could respond a tall, well dressed, male detective walked past them. "Morning Liv." "Rollins. Carisi. Fin. Let me introduce you to Charlotte Daniels." Liv said causing the two that had just walked in and an older man who had been sitting at a desk to join her and Charlotte. "She will be an on staff victim advocate and will be helping with research on cases." Liv continued. "This is Amanda Rollins, Dominick Carisi, and Odafin Tutuola or Fin." Liv gestured to the detectives that had joined them. Charlotte gave them a small smile before stepping forward to shake their hands. "It's nice to meet you and please call me Charlie." "Charlie has a masters in social work, a masters psychology, and is currently working on her doctorate at Columbia. She has worked in rape crisis centers and has worked with police departments as a civilian investigator so please don't hesitate to utilize her during investigations." Liv added before heading back to her office.

"What police departments have you worked with?" Rollins asked as the group of detectives stood in front of her. "I worked with Brooklyn PD mostly while finishing my second masters at NYU." Charlotte replied. "How much do you have left on your doctorate?" Fin asked. "I've started my dissertation but I still have a year and a half to finish it. I feel like I've been researching it my entire adult life. If all things go according to plan I'll graduate in two years." Charlotte smiled. "You takin' evening classes or will you only be here part time?" Carisi asked. "We meet for class one weekend a month. The courses are designed for working professionals so we do a lot of work at home, e-mailing in assignments after the initial two day class. Then the next month we start the process over with a new class." Charlotte explained. "What's your dissertation on?" Rollins asked. "The social and psychological effects of rape on victims and the ever changing rape culture." Charlotte replied. She noticed Rollins eyebrows lift slightly so she added. "I don't use names and only use cases of those that give me permission." "You've got a lot on your plate." Carisi said. "I like to be busy." Charlotte smiled.

Her first day went smoothly. There was an ongoing case that the detectives had been working on that Charlotte had helped with by doing some research on the suspect. Later that afternoon she met the victim and started building a relationship with her. This aspect of the job had always come easy for her, people seemed to respond to her quickly in positive ways. She had always been a very calming and approachable person despite her own anxiety.

She still hadn't heard from Max when she returned home so she decided to call him. Millie, her black and white tabby cat, curled up beside her as the phone rang. Charlotte reached down and petted her as she listened to the rings. Great, voicemail, she thought. "Hey Max, it's me. Give me a call later." The relationship she had with Max had been going on for well over three years now, they were both busy but she didn’t understand his inability to communicate like a normal person.

The next morning she had a missed call and a voicemail from Max. "Charlie. Sorry I missed your call, I was out with some buddies from class. Hope your first day went well. I've got a break today, do you want to do lunch? Text me and let me know when your lunch is and I'll swing by." Charlotte smiled at his message and texted him to meet her at her work around twelve-thirty.

The bullpen was normally quiet at eight in the morning when she arrived but today the detectives who weren't scheduled to show until nine were already there quickly forming a plan to arrest the suspect Charlotte had helped them research yesterday. "Hey Charlie." Carisi smiled. "What's going on?" She asked. "DNA came back and it's a match with the suspect. Turns out he's in the system for a rape in Texas that never went to trial because the victim refused to testify. We're trying to locate him now so we can arrest him." Carisi said.

Before Charlotte had a chance to say anything else Rollins shouted. "Got him!" They were joined by Liv and Fin behind Rollins computer. "I've been looking through his online activity and he checks in at a coffee shop everyday around nine-thirty." Rollins said. "Alright, Rollins and Carisi, I'm going to have you two get to the coffee shop before nine if we can't locate him before then. Charlie, focus on finding his address. Even if we do get him at the coffee shop we are going to need to search his home for the missing jewelry." Liv said.

"Is John Peters in custody yet?" Charlotte turned to the familiar voice speaking behind her. "Not yet Barba. Rollins has a location he might be at around nine-thirty but we have yet to find his home address." Liv answered. Barba smiled when he saw Charlotte, a smile she happily returned having always found the snarky ADA amusing. "So you're just hoping he'll be somewhere around nine-thirty?" Barba asked sarcastically. "It's the best lead we have so far." Liv replied. "Fine," Barba huffed, "when are they heading out?" "We're going in ten minutes so that we can get in place before he arrives. Don't want to spook him." Carisi said.

Things started to calm down as Carisi and Rollins got ready to go. Barba walked closer to Charlotte who was standing next to Liv. "Oh Barba, this is Charlotte Daniels, she's..." Liv started to introduce them but Barba interrupted. "Charlie and I know each other from Brooklyn PD. You've got yourself a good addition to your team." "Woah, Barba actually praised someone?" Carisi said jokingly as he and Rollins joined them now that they were pretty much ready to go. "I do when it's deserved." Barba smirked. "You guys ready?" Liv asked Rollins. "Yep." She replied. "Go, we'll call if anything changes." Liv said.

"I'll see if I can find where he's living." Charlotte said, giving Barba one last little smile before heading to her desk. She began searching for family members in the area thinking that perhaps he was living with someone since they hadn't been able to find an address on file anywhere. No such luck. Then she looked through his work history but she couldn't find a current job for him and the last place he worked was in Nebraska. She found a number for his mother so she decided to give her a call. "Hi, Ms. Peters?" "Yes" Came the response on the other end of the call. "I'm sorry to bother you but I found a wallet for a John Peters and your number was inside. I'd like to mail it back to him, do you happen to have his current address?" Charlotte asked. "How sweet of you. I have it here somewhere. He just moved to New York and is staying with a friend, Phillip Thomas." Charlotte was already typing the friends name into her computer as Ms. Peters searched for the address. The address Ms. Peters rambled off matched the one she found confirming she had the correct address. "Thank you so much. I will get this in the mail this afternoon." Charlotte said and then hung up the phone.

"I've got his address," Charlotte said as she walked over to Liv, Fin, and Barba, "he's living with a friend in Queens." Charlotte handed Liv the address. Liv turned to Barba but he spoke before she could. "You'll have your warrant by the time you get there." He pulled out his phone to make a call stepping away from them. "You ready Fin?" Liv asked. He nodded. "Charlie if Rollins and Carisi return with Peters before we get back tell them to go ahead and question him, Barba can watch." With the last statement Liv and Fin rushed out the door leaving Charlotte and Barba.

"Thanks." Barba said as he hung up the phone. Charlotte had returned to her desk so he ventured over, pulling up a chair to sit. "Rafael Barba." She smirked. "I thought you left Brooklyn PD to work as a counselor at a middle school?" He asked. "I did for a few years but when I decided to get my doctorate I knew there wouldn't be enough time for school with that job so I left." Charlotte said. "You're getting your doctorate?" He had a twinkle in his eye as he asked. "In psychology. My dissertation is over the social and psychological effects of rape on victims and rape culture, so naturally I came back to New York's finest for work." She had forgotten how much she enjoyed talking to him or maybe it was just listening to him talk, his voice had always had an effect on her. The silly crush she had had on him when she worked for Brooklyn PD was coming back. She had met Max shortly before she quit or she probably would have asked Barba out after her last shift, you know when she wouldn't have to face him daily if he had rejected her. "You still dating that Max guy?" Barba asked. "Yes." Charlotte nodded. "Wow, that's been over what, three years now? Are you two getting serious?" He asked. Charlotte pursed her lips and looked down slightly. "Not really. We're both really busy and neither of us are in any rush so it's..." Barba lifted an eyebrow at her as she paused. "It is what it is." She half smiled and rolled her eyes slightly at her response. Barba leaned forward, resting his elbows on her desk. "He's an idiot." Charlotte smirked at Barba's statement. "How do you know I'm not setting the pace?" He smiled. "Because you once drunkenly told me you wanted someone to come home to everyday, to build a life with, not a person you saw when it was convenient."

She started to respond but was interrupted by Carisi and Rollins ushering John Peters into the bullpen. "Where's Liv." Carisi asked after they put Peters in interrogation. "She and Fin went to search his home. She said to go ahead and question him with Barba watching." Charlotte told them. "Sounds good." Carisi said as the three of them left Charlotte at her desk to go interrogate Peters.

Charlotte thought about the conversation she had just had with Barba. Was she just staying in this relationship because of convenience? She had always wanted a partner in life and Max definitely wasn't that. She wanted someone who didn't take a week to respond to her text or call her back. Someone she saw more than three to four times a month. After three years shouldn't their relationship be further along than that? What would have happened if she hadn't met Max and she had asked Barba out after she left Brooklyn PD? Would he have said yes? She liked Max but she hadn't expected those old feeling she had for Barba to still be so strong and why did they excited her? She had decided that she would talk to Max at lunch about their relationship. If he wanted to become serious and move their relationship forward then she would stay with him but if he refused then she felt it was time to move on.

"What do you want me to do Barba? He asked for a lawyer." Rollins was saying as they reentered the bullpen. Barba didn't respond to her but instead walked over to Charlotte‘s desk and sat back down across from her. "What time is it?" He asked. "Eleven-fifteen." She smiled. "Good. Maybe Liv will be back soon with something that will help us move forward with this case." He huffed. Charlotte covered her mouth to hide the smile spreading across her lips at his frustration. "You never were a patient man were you Barba?" Charlotte smirked at the face he gave her. "Soy más paciente de lo que jamás sabrás, cariño." (I'm more patient than you'll ever know sweetheart.) Charlotte furrowed her brow and pushed her bottom lip up slightly. "I knew I should've taken some Spanish classes when I went back to school." A satisfied smile spread across his face as he cross his arms over his chest and stared at her.

"We found Sara's necklace along with a few others in the room Peters is staying in at his friends house." Liv said as she and Fin returned. "They were each in their own individual bags with dates on them. Sara's date matched that of her assault." Fin added. Barba looked up at them as they walked in but didn't bother to get up. "Peters is in interrogation but he lawyered up so we are waiting." Carisi informed Liv. "Great. Charlie call Sara, see if she can come in for a line up around three this afternoon." Liv said. "Will do. Hey Liv?" Charlotte said. "Yes." Liv responded turning to look at her. "I have lunch plans at twelve-thirty, is that ok or should I reschedule?" Charlotte asked. "That shouldn't be a problem just make sure you're back by the time Sara gets here." Liv said. "I will be." Charlotte smiled.

Charlotte called Sara and then started looking for similar rapes reported that happened on the dates each bag had written on it as Barba put his feet up on her desk. "Really?" Charlotte said gesturing with her eyes to his feet. Barba shrugged and smiled at her but didn't remove his feet. Charlotte rolled her eyes and went back to work. 

Charlotte printed up a list of reported rapes that matched Peters MO and the dates of the different necklaces. Barba hadn't moved but was now at least taking notes on the case on a legal pad as he set with his feet up on her desk. She was about to get up and take her list to Rollins when Max walked in. "Hey Charlie." She looked up. "Max. Is it twelve-thirty already?" "It is." He smiled at her and then looked at Barba who looked a little too comfortable at Charlotte's desk. "Hey Barba, aren't you Brooklyn's ADA?" Max asked. "I transferred to Manhattan two and a half years ago." Barba replied barely looking up from his work. Charlotte took her list to Rollins and then walked back over to Max. "You ready?" "Sure." Max said giving Barba an uneasy look and placing his arm around her waist.

"Who was that?" Carisi asked as Barba joined him at Rollins desk to go over Charlotte‘s list. "Charlie's boyfriend, Max." Barba huffed. "I take it you don't like the guy." Rollins smirked. "She deserves better." Barba replied. Rollins and Carisi glanced at each other. "How long did you work with Charlie in Brooklyn?" Carisi asked. "Four years, why?" Barba answered. "You seem close, that's all." Carisi said. "We were." Barba said as a smile hinted at the corner of his mouth.

Charlotte and Max went to a deli not too far from the precinct. "How's school going?" Charlotte asked. "It's going well. You should come out with me and my buddies from class sometime." Max said. "I'd like to if you would invite me before you were already out." Charlotte smiled as she said it. "I know, it's just most of the time we don't decide to go out until after class is over." Max said. "I know." She smiled and rested her hand on his arm. 

They ate and chatted about school. As they were finishing and heading back to the station Charlotte finally built up the courage to ask. "Max? We've been together for over three years now, do you ever want more out of our relationship?" He paused and looked at her. "Eventually, but right now things are good the way they are." "Are they?" She asked. "I think so." He smiled and took her hand in his. "I always thought I'd have partner after three years not someone I only see three to four times a month." Charlotte said. "Why are you bringing this up now?" Max said irritably. "When would be a better time for me to bring it up? I don't even know the next time I'll get to see you." Charlotte's tone matched his. "Is this about Barba? You two were always hanging out together." Max accused. "What? No. It's about our relationship. How long are we going to keep doing the same thing? How many more years am I going to keep checking my phone to see if you've finally decided to respond to me. You may be content with things the way they are but I am not." Charlotte was calm but Max could tell she was upset. "I don't know Charlie but this is how I am. If you want to be with me then you'll be with me." Max bluntly stated. "Wow. Ok. So fuck what I want or how I feel. You're so fucking great that I should just put all that aside and just appreciate when you decided to grace me with your presence." Charlotte raised her voice slightly. "I don't know what you want me to say." Max said. "I think you've already said it." Charlotte started to walk faster. "Charlie wait." Max reached out and gently grabbed her arm causing her to stop and look at him, silently cursing the tears that were forming. "I can't keep doing what we're doing." "I don't want more right now." Max said pushing her hair behind her ear. "Then I can't do this anymore." Charlotte said as the tears began to run down her cheeks. Max pulled her into a hug and kissed the top of her head. "We just want different things." She smiled and wiped her cheeks. "I guess you're right but I need someone who wants what I want out of a relationship." "I understand. I want you to be happy, even if it's not with me." Max smiled. "Why can't you want me to be happy with you?" Charlotte asked as tears threatened to form again. "Because what you want doesn't make me happy." Max said. "So this is it?" Charlotte whimpered. "It would seem so." Max replied.

Charlotte broke their embrace and continued her walk to the precinct alone. She was sad but she kept telling herself it wouldn't be that bad. Hell, it wouldn't be that different. They had barely seen each other so it's not like she'd be anymore alone than she had been before. Her eyes were still a little red when she arrived back at work but her tears had dried.

"So, that was your boyfriend?" Carisi asked as she walked back into the bullpen. "Was being the operative word." Charlotte deadpanned. Barba lifted his gaze up from case file he was reading. "You broke up with Max?" "You were right, I want more." Charlotte sighed sitting down at her desk and digging into work to take her mind off Max, not noticing the smile that tugged at the corners of Barba's mouth. It didn't go unnoticed by Rollins though.


	2. Chapter 2

Sara had made a positive ID of Peters and they had found two more of his previous victims that had also positively ID'd him. Barba's case was solid and the trial was going well. Charlotte was there for moral support for the victims as they testified and continued to sit with them as they watched the trial progress. The defense tried everything to make them out to be willing participants but the prosecutions case was too strong to poke holes in. The jury only took an hour to convict.

"Thank you." Sara said as she hugged Charlotte. "Hey, I'm here for you, you have my card right? You can always call and I have connections to people you can talk to when you're ready. If I don't here from you in a week, expect a call." Charlotte smiled as Sara nodded. "I'll call, I promise." Sara left to join her mother and they both waved as they left the courtroom. "You're amazing with them." Barba said, he had been standing behind her watching the exchange. Charlotte turned to him and smiled. "As much as I loved working with middle schoolers, this is where I'm supposed to be." Barba smiled and rested his hand on her shoulder. "I couldn't agree more."

"Celebratory drinks?" Rollins asked as she and the rest of SVU approached Charlotte and Barba. "I'm in." Charlotte smiled. "I'd never pass up an opportunity to learn more drunk Charlie secrets." Barba teased. Charlotte rolled her eyes and followed the detectives out of the courtroom. "Where are we going?" Barba asked once they were out of the courtroom. "Murphy's." Rollins said. "Great. I'll meet you guys there. I've got a few things to finalize, shouldn't take longer than ten, fifteen minutes." Barba said. "Alright, we'll see you there." Liv said. "Charlie can you hang back with me, I wanted to pick your brain about something." Barba asked. "Sure." Charlotte said walking closer to Barba as the others left.

"So what'd you want to ask me about?" Charlotte asked as they walked into Barba's office. "I just wanted to make sure you were doing ok after your break up." He said as he started to file his papers from the trial. She watched him as she responded. "I'm actually doing pretty good. It's hard to miss someone you never really saw. I almost feel relieved you know, like a door has suddenly opened and I can see my future again." He finished filing and turned to face her. "You seem happy." She looked in his eyes and smiled. "I'm happier than I've been in a while."

Liv, Rollins, Carisi, and Fin had found a table large enough for six and received their first round from the waitress. "I'm telling you Barba likes her." Rollins said as the others scoffed at her. "I'm not sure Barba is capable of liking someone." Fin said. "I don't know they are really close." Carisi added deciding that maybe Rollins was on to something. "They've known each other for a long time." Liv said trying to pull the group back to reality. "But they're closer than just having known each other a long time." Carisi argued. "Yeah and if you watch him closely the corners of his mouth almost form a smile when she walks in the room or starts talking to him." Rollins added. "Will you two grow up, here they come." Liv said waving to Charlotte and Barba as they entered the bar. "Just watch him." Rollins whispered before they reached the table.

They had save two seats together and Barba pulled Charlotte's out for her. "What'd we miss?" Charlotte asked as she scooted her chair in. "Nothing important." Liv smiled. "What can I get y'all to drink?" The waitress asked. "Dirty vodka martini and he'll take a scotch." Charlotte replied. "You remember my drink?" Barba remarked as he smiled at Charlotte causing Rollins to give both Liv and Fin a wide eyed look as if to say see. "How hard is scotch to remember." Charlotte chuckled.

The group laughed as they picked apart the defenses case during the trial. "I had to bite my cheek to keep from laughing at the defense attorneys face when Peters almost confessed to you on the stand." Carisi laughed. "I know. Did you see how red his face got." Fin added. They chatted and laughed through two more rounds before Liv asked for her tab. "I'll take mine too." Fin said. "What so soon?" Rollins asked. "I only have Noah's sitter until seven." Liv said. "And I'm not as young as you, a couple more of these and I'll be in bed all day tomorrow nursing a hangover." Fin smiled.

Carisi and Rollins started prying into Barba and Charlotte's past after Liv and Fin left. "So how was Barba as a ADA in Brooklyn?" Rollins asked. "Pretty much the same as he is here, a bit cocky, but damn good at his job." Charlotte gave Barba a playful jab as she said it. "So when do we get to hear these drunk Charlie secrets?" Carisi asked. "I was only teasing about that. She's only been drunk enough to tell me secrets once and she hasn't consumed nearly enough alcohol to share secrets tonight." Barba smiled at the memory. 

After a few more rounds the group got their tabs. "See y'all Monday." Rollins said to Barba and Charlotte before she turned to Carisi. "You wanna share a cab?" "Sure," Carisi replied, "Bye Charlie, Barba." "Bye." Both Charlotte and Barba said together as they left. Charlotte turned to Barba and smiled. "It's only nine-thirty, you want to go to my place and watch a movie like we used to?" "I would." Barba replied.

Barba took off his shoes, suit jacket, and tie as they entered Charlotte's apartment, while Charlotte went to change into her pajama shorts and t-shirt. They made themselves comfortable on the couch and started browsing through movies on Netflix, picking some cheesy comedy neither of them had seen. "This is terrible." Barba said after the first ten minutes. "Yes it is. You want to pick something else?" Charlotte asked looking into Barba's eyes. "Not really." He barely whispered as they continued to make eye contact. Slowly, he leaned closer to her, their lips less than and inch apart. "Is this too soon?" He asked. "It's taken half a decade too long." Charlotte whispered before she closed the gap, crashing her lips into his. The kiss was intense, making the wait seem both worth it and feel like wasted time spent not kissing.

Barba pulled her on top of him so that she straddled his legs, running his hands along her sides and back as they continued to make out. "I was thinking about asking you out after I left Brooklyn PD." Charlotte panted as Barba's kisses moved to her neck. "Why didn't you?" Barba asked between kisses. "Because I met Max." Charlotte said as she started to unbutton his dress shirt. Barba paused his kisses and looked at her. "I don't want to be a rebound, Charlotte. I've wanted to be with you for five years now." Charlotte smiled. "Barba, how can you be a rebound if you're the reason I ended things with Max? I've liked you since that night we drank together after you lost the Matthews trial and you told me how much it hurt you to see evil men like that get away with the things they did." "That was only a few months after we met." Barba said leaning his forehead against hers. "I know." She smiled. "Why didn't you ever tell me?" He was looking her in the eyes again. "Fear of rejection I guess." Charlotte shyly smiled.

Barba pulled her back toward his lips. "I would have never rejected you and please call me Rafael." "Will do Counselor." Charlotte teased. "Charlie..." Barba groaned. "What?" She smiled, pressing her lips into his and gently slipping her tongue into his mouth as her fingers resumed unbuttoning his shirt. His hands slowly moved up her sides and around to her breast causing her to softly moan. His thumbs lightly grazed her nipples as he cupped each breast. He smiled beneath their kiss as her nipples hardened at his touch and her breathing quickened. Charlotte pushed herself down on him and ran her hand into his hair, wanting her body to be even closer to his. "Rafael." She panted, her lips barely touching his. He made a small noise at the sound of her saying his name causing her to smile and press her lips back onto his.

She continued to kiss him as she climb off his lap, she was now leaning over as she stood in front of him, her hands bracing her on the back of the couch. Kissing him one last time she stood upright and extended her hand out for him to take. He followed her as she guided him through her tiny apartment, his dress shirt unbuttoned and untucked in the front, revealing his white undershirt, but still tucked in on either side of his suspenders. They didn't speak as she shut her bedroom door behind them and stood facing him, her hands pressing on his abdomen. She slid her hands up his chest under his suspenders and dress shirt, pushing both off his shoulders. As her hands reached down to unfasten his pants, Barba wrapped his arms around her and pulled her up against him, pressing his lips back to hers. She returned his kiss with a smile as she slid his pants off his hips, allowing them to fall to the floor.

Barba stepped out of his pants that had pooled around his ankles, advancing Charlotte backwards toward her bed. When she felt the back of her legs hit the edge of her bed she lowered herself and scooted backwards as Barba followed, their lips never parting. He pulled her shirt off over her head, her long blond hair softly fell on either side of her breast, causing him to exhale deeply. Charlotte smiled at his reaction, she reached her hand into his hair and pulled his lips back to hers as she laid back on her bed. His weight felt good against her. She pulled his undershirt off as his kisses moved down her neck and to her chest. Her hand was back in his hair as he tongued her nipple, his hand massaging her other breast causing her to moan. After he gave each breast a satisfactory amount of attention his kisses continued down her stomach, across her hip bone where they were joined by his hands as he pulled her shorts and underwear off. She watched him as he took the sight of her in, her blond hair framing her upper body, her beautiful face, soft neck, defined clavicle, her perfect breast, slender waist, and long legs that were bent and still spread from where he had been laying between them. Gently he kissed the inside of her thigh close to her knee, continuing his kisses toward her center. 

A small gasp escaped her as his tongue began to tongue her. His eyes met hers as she looked down her body to were his head was and she placed her hands on top of his as they reached up to grab her breast. The rate of her moans increased when he worked two fingers inside her, curling them, all while his tongue still massaged her clit. "Rafael..." She panted, gripping his hair with one hand and her sheets with the other. He tightly wrapped his arms around her thighs to hold her in place as her muscles tightened and her head arched back. She moaned loudly as her body began to spasm beneath his grip and her back lifted off the bed. "Raf..." She started to moan his name but couldn't finish as her body released into the orgasm. Barba held her tightly and continued to tongue her, enjoying each moan she released. 

Once he was satisfied she had squirmed enough he relinquished his hold on her, taking advantage of her euphoric state to remove his boxers. His weight pressed against her as his lips found hers once again. He was still laying between her legs and she could feel his tip rub against her clit as they kissed, the sensitivity remaining from her orgasm causing her to moan at each touch. She tilted her pelvis slightly and his tip slid inside her, they both moaned as they felt each other for the first time. Barba pulled her tighter to him as he pushed himself fully inside her, she gasped as he filled her. "You ok?" He panted between kisses. "Yeah." She panted in response, her moans began again as he started to move. Her arms wrapped around him as they moved together, his lips on hers, her chest rubbing against his, both of them moaning as they embraced one another. Barba took his time as he thrust, he could feel her breathing quicken as her moan became louder and more frequent. She pulled her lips from his and she moaned his name loudly in his ear as her back arched again pushing her chest into his as she came. 

He smiled, removed himself from her and crawled up to lay behind her wrapping his arms around her and pulling her tight against his chest. She could feel him pressing against her back as she caught her breath. Once her breathing leveled out, she turned her head to look at him. He smiled and pressed his lips against hers, his hands lightly tracing shapes onto her stomach and thighs. He lowered himself slightly so that he could enter her from their spooning position causing her to moan into his lips. Slowly he started to thrust inside her again, muffling his moans into her shoulder. His hand ventured down to her clit and she draped her leg over his allowing him access. She could feel the pressure building inside her as he both thrust inside her and touched her. She reached back and ran her fingers into his hair as she approached climax. Barba had his mouth pressed tightly to her shoulder as he began to moan, approaching his own climax. "Raf." Charlotte moaned loudly as she released yet again, reaching down to remove his hand from her. Her body jerked, pushing him deeper inside her. Barba gripped her waist tightly and thrust faster as he grunted his release, slowing his thrust and pulling Charlotte tightly into him.

They both laid in each other's arms, neither of them speaking, Barba still pulsing slightly inside her. "Wow." Charlotte said once she caught her breath. She turned her head so that she could look at him and smiled. "I'm glad you enjoyed yourself." Barba smirked. Charlotte rotated herself in Barba's arms so that she was facing him. "Did you?" She asked, her eyes meeting his. Barba smiled and pressed his lips to hers before responding. "I did." She smiled and rested her head on his chest as he shifted to lay on his back, his hand lightly tracing up and down her back as they fell asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

"Morning Charlie." Rollins grunted as she hurried past her desk as she entered the station. "You're late." Carisi barked. "Traffic." Rollins replied shrugging her shoulders slightly and giving him a drop it look. Carisi rolled his eyes and went back to the work on his desk. Charlotte watched their interaction but decided best not to say anything. She had been working with them for a little over a month and a half now and although she felt excepted by the detectives she knew she was still the new guy.

The last few cases they had worked involved children and family court so Barba hadn't been around the precinct much. That didn't mean that she hadn't been seeing him. The lack of cases sent from SVU had lightened his work load considerably, allotting him extra time to spend with Charlotte. They had been inseparable during the weekends, sometimes at his place but mostly at hers. In the evenings after work Barba would turn up at Charlotte's door with take out so often that he had started keeping a couple extra suits and a toothbrush there so that he didn't have to bother going home in the morning. Her relationship with Barba was progressing quickly but somehow it felt right. She wanted to see him all the time and enjoyed when he stayed the night, the two of them getting ready for work together in her tiny bathroom. 

Charlotte was deep in thought about her morning with Barba when Liv walked in. "Rollins. An unconscious woman was found at Washington Square Park, she's being transported to Bellevue, you and I will meet her there. Carisi. Fin. You two see what you can find where her body was found. Charlotte as soon as we get an ID I'll send it to you so you can start doing some research on her." Moments after her instructions were delivered the bullpen cleared out, leaving Charlotte alone.

Charlotte had finished her work the previous day so she continued to work on an assignment for class while she waited for Liv to get her information on the case. Two hours passed before she finally heard from Liv. The woman's name was Emily Thornton. She said she had been at a get together at a friends house that she couldn't remember leaving. The friend had invited people through Facebook so Emily gave them access to her Facebook profile to get at least a good portion of the guest list.

Logging into Emily's Facebook, Charlotte found the party she had mentioned event page. She printed out a list of all the people invited regardless of wether they said they were going or not and then started researching them.

"Liv back yet?" Carisi asked as he and Fin returned to the precinct. "Not yet." Charlotte answered, looking up from her computer. "Did you find anything that might help me with my search?" "We got video from a surveillance camera of a guy carrying Emily towards to park at one in the morning." Fin offered, holding up a DVD. "Does it have a good shot of his face?" Charlotte asked. "It does." Fin smiled. "Great, cause I've got a ton of Facebook profile pictures of possible suspects it would be nice to narrow down." Charlotte lifted up a stack of papers she had printed out with different men from the party's picture and name on them.

Carisi put the DVD in and pulled the surveillance footage up on the television, pausing it at a good view of the guys face. "This our guy?" Barba said as he walked up behind them. Charlotte smiled to herself but didn't turn around, instead she divided up the stack into four instead of three smaller sections. "Possibly." She smiled, turning and handing Barba a stack. "You can help us figure out who he is." Barba smiled and took the stack she had handed him. The four of them sat at the table in front of the television, Charlotte and Barba next to each other, Carisi and Fin flanking the outside.

They sorted through the stacks of pictures, narrowing it down to four possibilities. Barba followed Charlotte back to her desk as she began to do more research on the four guys. Carisi and Fin were doing research of their own. Barba had pulled his chair behind her desk and was sitting next to Charlotte as she worked giving helpful input here and there. One of the guys was currently out of the country on vacation, so they took him off the list. Pictures that other people had posted showed that the other three were at the party and they were having difficulty narrowing it down anymore. 

Liv and Rollins returned to the precinct not too long after one. "Good, Barba, you're here." Liv said, noticing his proximity to Charlotte behind her desk. "Please tell me you have something?" He said lifting an eyebrow at her. "The rape kit came back positive for semen but Emily's memory is hazy. I told her to come in tomorrow to go over more details." Liv said. "We've got surveillance footage of a guy carrying Emily towards the park around one in the morning but so far have only narrowed to three possible people from the party, Thomas Durant, Kyle Ritchie, and Carter Casey." Carisi stated as he and Fin joined the group at Charlotte's desk. "The semen is enough to get a warrant for their DNA." Barba said, pulling his phone out of his pocket to make the call. 

"Great. Rollins, find out where they are and Fin, you and Carisi get their DNA once she does." Liv said before heading into her office. It didn't take long for Rollins to locate their addresses and the warrant came through quickly, so Fin and Carisi headed out. "Is this the only case you're working on Barba?" Rollins asked from her desk. Barba, who was still sitting next to Charlotte, looked her direction. "Yes, why?" She smiled. "Just curious, usually you're in and out during the beginning of a case." "I missed you guys this last month." He smirked. She smiled, muttering, "You missed someone..." under her breath softly where neither he nor Charlotte could hear.

The next morning, Charlotte woke up to Barba kissing her neck and shoulder. "Rafael." She giggled turning to face him giving him the opportunity to kiss her lips. She returned his kiss briefly before pulling back. "What time is it?" She asked trying to see the clock that his head was blocking. "Five." Barba answered as he placed his lips back on hers and his hands moved to her breast. She moaned lightly and gave into his kisses, she didn't normally get out of bed until five forty-five so they had some time.

His hand moved down her stomach and began to message her. Moans vibrated softly through her lips into his as her pleasure increased. It wasn't long before her legs began to shake and her body jerked, signaling her release. In the short time period they had been together, Barba had learned to read her better than any man she had ever been with. Their lips never parted as he climbed on top of her, teasing her with his tip. "Raf." She whined, looking into his soft green eyes. Her need for him was too much for him to ignore and pushed himself into her, smiling as she gasped as he filled her. Their bodies moved together as he thrust in and out of her, their moans and breathing quickening. He felt her tighten around him and watched as her back arched and chest pushed into him, her head tilting back. He began to thrust faster, grunting as he reached his own climax before collapsing on top of her, their faces inches apart.

Charlotte wrapped her legs around him pulling him deeper into her, smiling at the moan he let out. He kissed her and then rested his forehead against hers. "I think we have to get up now." He sighed. Charlotte pouted and squeezed him tighter. "I want to stay in bed and do naughty things to you all day." He smiled and kissed her. "Maybe next weekend." "I have class next weekend." Charlotte sighed. "Another weekend then." He smiled. "Fine." She muttered, relaxing her embrace and following him to the shower.

"You seem happy today." Rollins said as Charlotte sauntered to the coffee machine for her third cup that morning. "I'm in a good mood." Charlotte smiled. "Any particular reason?" Rollins asked lifting an eyebrow. "What time is Emily arriving?" Charlotte asked ignoring Rollins last question. "Ten-thirty." Carisi interjected.

Charlotte introduced herself and guided Emily into the interview room once she arrived. "I know that this process is difficult but I want you to know that I am here for you." Charlotte said handing Emily her card. "You can call me anytime, if you need to talk. Also, I have resources such as counselors an support groups when you're ready for that step. There is no right or wrong way to process what happened, you let me know when your ready, ok?" Charlotte added. Emily nodded. "The detectives are going to show you pictures and ask you a few questions, ok?" Charlotte said. "Ok, but I still don't remember much." Emily sighed. "That's ok. Just answer as best you can." Charlotte smiled.

Liv and Rollins walked in and sat down across from them. "Emily, we're going to show you a few pictures and you tell us if you recognize anyone, ok?" Liv said. Emily nodded. They laid the pictures of the three guys on the table in front of her. Emily looked at them for a moment and then pointed to the one of Carter Casey. "This guy was at the party. He hit on me multiple times throughout the night. He was cute but not my type so I turned him down." "You recognize anyone else?" Rollins asked. Emily looked closer and then shook her head. "No, they all look similar but I only remember this guy, I think he said his name was Carter."

"Did anything else from that night come back to you?" Liv asked. Emily nodded. "I have a vague memory of being carried and then feeling like I was laid in wet grass. I remember my skirt being pushed up, my underwear being pulled down, and someone pushing themselves inside me." "Do you remember any jewelry or maybe a unique sound or smell?" Rollins asked. Emily's eyes lit up. "Actually I do, he smelt like coffee and I kept getting hit in the face by his necklace." She closed her eyes as she tried to remember. "It was a thick chain, I think."

"Great, that helps." Liv said. "Is that it?" Emily asked. "Just one more thing." Rollins said, placing the picture of her being carried towards the park in front of her. "Is this the guy that hit on you that night?" Emily picked the picture up to examine it. "It is." She said barely above a whisper. "So he is the one who did this to me?" She added, tears forming in her eyes. "He is." Liv said. "We have his DNA from the rape kit and you have now ID him." "What happens next?" Emily asked. "We arrest him and our ADA starts the trial process." Liv answered. "Ok." Emily nodded.

Charlotte guided Emily out of the interview room. "ADA Barba can be a bit intense during the trial but I promise you he has your best interest in mind. I'll go with you when he meets with you and during trial prep." Emily looked relieved. "Thank you." Charlotte smiled. "And don't forget, you can call me anytime, ok?" "Ok." Emily nodded before heading out the door. "I'm intense?" Barba smirked as Charlotte turned around to see him standing with Rollins and Carisi not too far from her. Charlotte rolled her eyes and smiled. "It's the nicest way I could come up with to describe you."

The rest of the week flew by as they prepped for the trial. Charlotte spent the majority of her time at Barba's office helping him prep Emily. "I think I would go with asshole instead of intense next time you describe him to someone." Emily complained as they left his office on Friday afternoon. "Intense may not be a strong enough word but I promise he cares. He just has to distance himself in order to be an effective lawyer. I've seen what he's like when he looses a case. He's not upset because he lost, he doesn't forgive himself for allowing the guilty to go free, for letting the victim down. He's a good man, you're going to have to trust me on that." Charlotte said leaning to look Emily in the eye. The corners of Emily's lips turned up into a small smile. "You love him." "What?" Charlotte said truthfully shocked that Emily would come to that conclusion. "Fine, love may be too strong, but you definitely like him." Emily insisted. "Fine, I like him." Charlotte smiled as she said it out loud to someone for the first time. "I'll try to trust him then. If he can garner the heart of someone like you, he can't be all bad." Emily smiled.


	4. Chapter 4

Emily testified early in the trail and sat next to Charlotte during the duration of the trial. The defense tried but failed to make their case that it had been Emily's idea. Her tox screen had tested positive for GHB and he had abandoned her unconscious body in a park. Emily's past didn't help them either, she had countless character witnesses that testified as to how sweat and kind she was. Her ex's had only good things to say about her and the defense could find absolutely no one who would testify that she had ever even experimented with drugs. The jury came back late Friday afternoon with a guilty verdict. Barba took Charlotte out to celebrate that evening. They went to dinner and a show before retiring back at her place for the evening. They were both exhausted from the week and crashed out in her bed shortly after they laid down.

The next morning, Charlotte made breakfast while Barba continued to sleep. She woke him up after she had plated the food, bribing him out of bed with coffee. "What do you want to do today?" He asked as they finished eating. She smiled and inched herself closer to him. "If I recall someone said we could stay in bed some weekend and I could do naughty things to them." He choked a little on his coffee as she let her robe fall the the floor revealing her completely naked body to him. She walked up behind him as he sat on the bar stool at her kitchen counter and ran her hands over his shoulders, down his chest, stopping briefly as she lifted the waistband of his boxers and reached her hand down to feel him. "Charlotte..." He moaned and stood at her touch. "Shhh..." She said as she walked around to stand in front of him, his manhood still gently grasp in her hand.

Her kisses moved down his neck, his chest, stomach. She pulled him out of his boxers and placed him in her mouth. He moaned and rested his hand on the back of her head as she sucked the tip of him. Slowly she took more and more of him in as she bobbed her head. "Mierda." He moaned as she held all of him in for a moment, deep throating him. She gasped slightly for air as she pulled her mouth off of him and then repeated the motion, taking all of him in again. He looked down and was met by her eyes. He gripped her hair and began to move himself gently in and out of her mouth. They continued to make eye contact as he thrust, slightly faster now. "My god, Charlotte." He panted as he felt his muscles tighten. She gasped for air when he pulled out, releasing his warm liquids on her chest.

She stood and kissed him, careful not to lean her chest against his shirt. "Shower?" She smiled. Barba only nodded in response, following her to the bathroom, his shirt and boxers still on, his manhood poking out between them. He removed his clothes as she started the water, pulling her into him for a kiss while they waited for the water to warm. She pulled her hair up in a clip, not wanting to wash it today, and they climbed in. Barba smiled as he washed her body, causing her to giggle when he was more attentive to certain areas than others. 

"These naughty things we're staying in to do today, I can do them too right?" He smirked as he walked her now dry bare body back to her bed. "Yes." She smiled. "Good." He said as he climbed in bed after her. He kissed her gently before moving his kisses down her neck to her chest, sucking one of her nipples and pinching the other between his fingers. Her moans encouraged him to continue his kiss downward. She moaned as he tongued her clit, curling his fingers inside her. "Raf." She moaned as her core tightened. He gripped her tighter as he felt her release, not letting her move as he continued to tongue her. "Raf... Please..." She moaned but he didn't lessen his grip. Her moaning became erratic and her whole body jerked beneath his grip but he didn't stop. She gripped the sheets on either side of her and squeezed her thighs against his head as her body gave in to a second orgasm. This one more intense than any orgasm she had ever had before. 

He pulled himself up to lay next to her and kissed her cheek as she caught her breath. "Holy fuck." She panted. He smiled and pulled her into his arms. Once her breathing leveled out she climb on top of him, easing him inside her. He cupped her breast as she rode him, moaning softly when he pulled her to his lips. They kissed, chest touching as she moved herself on top of him. "Charlotte?" Barba panted. "Yes." She replied as she sucked marks on crook of his neck where she knew his collar would cover it at work. "I know we technically haven't been together that long but..." He paused for a moment causing her to stop moving and look at him. "But what?" She inquired. His eyes rested on hers and he smiled. "I love you." Her smiled matched his. "I love you too." She kissed him as she started moving again. Their moans increasing as they moved together. He rolled her over so that she was beneath him and started thrusting faster inside her. She tightened around him as she came and he released shortly after her collapsing on her as they caught their breath. "We may have to take a short break from the naughtiness so that I can recharge." Barba smirked before he kissed her. "If you're lucky." Charlotte smiled. 

They were still laying there, her legs spread on either side of him, him still pulsing slightly inside her, when their phones rang. Without moving from their position Barba grabbed them off the nightstand, handing one to her without really looking. "Barba." He answered, still breathing a little heavier than normal. "Hey Liv." Charlotte said after looking at the caller ID before answering. "Barba?" Rollins question from the other end of the phone Barba was on. "Charlie?" Liv question from the other end of her phone. "Yes Rollins, it's Barba, you called me. who did you think would answer?" Barba barked. "Actually, I called Charlie." Rollins replied her amusement clearly audible through the phone. Barba's eyes widened as he looked down at Charlotte who was still laying beneath him. "Yeah, he's right here." Charlotte said, her face a little pink as they traded phones.

Barba climbed off Charlotte and they sat next to each other in her bed. "Hey Liv." Barba said into his phone. "Hey Barba." Barba knew Liv well enough to know she was smirking. "What did you need?" He grunted. "Your expertise on a case we picked up and a warrant." Liv replied. "Hi Rollins." Charlotte said. "Why is Barba out of breath?" Rollins asked holding back a giggle. "Why did you call?" Charlotte replied. As much as Rollins would enjoy teasing Charlotte, the case they had just picked up was more important. "We have a victim that is really shaken up and could use your help taking her statement." "Give me about twenty minutes." Charlotte replied. "You mean, y'all?" Rollins didn't hold back the giggle this time. "What?" Charlotte asked. "Barba's coming in too." Rollins smirked. "Oh." Charlotte said, thankful that Rollins couldn't see her blush.

"You're blushing." Barba laughed as they both got off the phone. "I've never seen you blush." Charlotte smiled and let her upper body fall against him. "I feel like we've been caught sneaking off to have sex by my mom and sister." Charlotte giggled. Barba couldn't help but to laugh at her response. "They were going to find out eventually." Barba said wrapping his arms around her and kissing the top of her head. "So much for our day of staying in bed doing naughty things to each other." Charlotte sighed as she crawled out bed. Barba got dressed in a pair of dark jeans and dark green sweater. Charlotte put on an a-line black skirt with a grey fitted sweater and a pair of black boots. They walked hand in hand to the precinct from her apartment.

Rollins, Carisi, and Fin had goofy smiles on their faces when Charlotte and Barba entered the bullpen. "Barba, in here." Liv called from her office. He followed her, shutting the door to her office behind him leaving Charlotte with the three detectives. "What were you and Barba doing together at ten-thirty on a Saturday morning that would cause you to be breathing heavy?" Rollins smirked. Charlotte shook her head and smiled. "Isn't there a victim I need to talk to?" She knew that the detectives assumed what they had been doing but she had no intention of confirming their suspicions. "In interview." Fin said pointing toward the door. "Thanks." Charlotte said as she turned to go speak with the victim.

Liv had gone over the details of the case with Barba, who was now looking at the suspect through the two-way mirror in her office. "So he was caught attempting to rape Ashley in the park by an off duty cop. How close did he get?" Barba asked. "Jeffers, the off duty cop said that he had her pinned against the ground and was trying to pull her underwear off when he found them." Liv said. "This cop, how's his record?" Barba inquired. "Impeccable." Liv stated. "Good." Barba said before turning to the two-way mirror that looked into the interview room. "She's really shaken up." Liv said, joining him flipping on the sound as they watched Charlotte walk into the room.

"Hi Ashley, I'm Charlie, I'll be your advocate during this process." Charlotte smiled softly and sat next to Ashley at the table. "How are you doing?" Ashley looked at Charlotte and shrugged. "I just want to go home." "I understand." Charlotte nodded. "I also want to make sure you have someone to talk to when you do go home." Ashley looked at Charlotte. "I don't want to talk to anyone." Ashley huffed. "It'll help." Charlotte said resting her hand gently on Ashley's arm. "I was stupid." Ashley sighed as tears formed in her eyes. "Nothing about what happened is your fault." Charlotte said reassuringly. Ashley blinked away tears before responding. "He started flirting with me at the park and I went with him when he asked if we could go somewhere more private. I thought he just wanted to kiss me, he seemed nice. I didn't expect to be pushed down on the ground and..." Ashley started sobbing. "There's nothing wrong or stupid about meeting someone and taking a risk." Charlotte said. "I know but if that cop hadn't walked by..." Tears started to form on Ashley's eyes again. "Hey, it didn't, you were lucky." Charlotte said. "I know but what if tries again with someone else who isn't so lucky." Ashley sobbed. "That's why you need to talk to the detectives. Help them put him away for this so that he can't hurt anyone else." Charlotte smiled softly. "Will you stay?" Ashley asked. "I will." Charlotte smiled before getting up to call Rollins into the room.

Liv flipped the audio back off and turned to Barba. "What are you doing with Charlie?" Liv asked curiously. "Excuse me?" Barba huffed lifting his eyebrows at her. "I'm not an idiot, Barba. You were both out of breath when we called and," she pointed to a mark forming at the edge of his collar, "you have a love bite that wasn't there when you first walked in my office." He covered his neck with his hand, his eyes softening as they met hers. "I love her. I have loved her for years now. I was too afraid to act on it in Brooklyn and when she started dating Max I regretted that. Then she left and I thought I had lost her. I wont lose her again." Liv held back a smirk at the usually brash ADA's admission. "If she end's up being a witness isn't that a conflict of interest?" Barba smiled. "Not anymore than the fact that she works with the detectives that arrested the suspect. As long as I inform the judge at the beginning of the trial it shouldn't be a problem." "Alright. I'm happy for you then." Liv smiled.

Ashley insisted she didn't need to go to the hospital so they documented her cuts and scraps at the precinct after she gave Rollins her statement. "Call me anytime if you need to talk." Charlotte said handing Ashley her card. "Thank you." Ashley smiled before leaving the precinct. Barba had got an arrest warrant for the suspect they had in custody. "Do you need anything else from us?" Barba said as he moved to stand next to Charlotte. "Not at the moment." Liv smiled as she watched the other detectives faces as Barba placed his arm around Charlotte's waist. "See you Monday." Charlotte said quickly as Barba ushered her toward the elevator. "I told you." Rollins said triumphantly as they left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m ending this one here because it’s all I had previously written and it feels like a good stoping point. Also if I don’t Lydia might never have her baby.


End file.
